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Requiring all sex offenders to register effectively means there will be no way to keep track of the truly dangerous ones because society will be too busy trying to keep track of all of them. It is time to reconsider the purpose of registration and modify the system to meet that need.

The point of registering sex offenders is to increase public safety. It is an excellent goal. The problem arises when all sex offenders are treated the same and according the same "danger level". This has resulted in an inefficient and overburdened system of managing sex offenders in the community.

It is important to consider that there are many different kinds of "sex offenders". The most concerning are rapists and pedophiles; sex offenders who prey on innocent victims.

But now our society in many states has criminalized teenage sexual experimentation. In Washington State, for example, there is a twenty-four month age difference rule. Thus, if one teen is 17 years and one month old and the other teen is 15 even, the older teen is a "sex offender" if the two engage in sexual relations. This is true even if the sexual contact is completely consensual. The older teen will likely be convicted of "Rape of a Child" - even though there was no rape involved. Thus we end up with a teen being punished for sexual experimentation and that teen's life being ruined as they will forever be branded a "sex offender" and be required to register.

Does our society really need protection from teenagers and sexual experimentation?

Another "sex offender" can be a person who patronizes a prostitute. Working in corrections, I have seen a man convicted of "patronizing a prostitute with sexual motivation." The "sexual motivation" rider makes it a sex offense, and thus, makes the man a "sex offender" who will then have to register. Now, of course patronizing a prostitute has sexual motivation - isn't that the whole point? But is that person a "sex offender" that the public needs to be protected from by making them register?

Custodial sexual misconduct is a more recent development in which registration is being required. This means that a staff person becomes sexually involved with an inmate in a prison. Most of the time this happens because the staff person truly thinks they are "in love" with the inmate. Of course, their behavior is completely inappropriate and cannot be tolerated. Criminal charges are required to be filed. I am not sure why registration was added - society is not in danger from this person at all.

By requiring that all sex offenders register, we reduce the resources available to protect ourselves from the ones who we really need protection from - the rapists and the pedophiles. These are people who use violence to rape and who are attracted to small, helpless children. Predators are the ones society needs protection from. We as a society don't need protection from experimenting teenagers, prostitute-patrons, or staff who cross the line. Registration should be reserved for only the most dangerous. With fewer numbers, the police would have a better chance at keeping track of those very dangerous people instead of chasing the teenagers around.

Learn more about this author, Rebecca Dyson.
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